Children of the Unsung Legend
by Aiko Isari
Summary: [01] Pre-series. AU. They are not allowed to return to their precious son, and for all of their grief, they are allowed to warm the hearts of many more. If that is not a devotion to the future, then what can be? What can be better than the vitality of heroes? The original Chosen of Light of the Sun.
1. 0-1

A/N: All right, here goes! No set limit, very vague end, somewhat clear plot. It's time to go nuts! All OCs are mine! Enjoy you guys!

Challenge: What if Koushiro's parents were somehow magicked to the Digital World?

* * *

0-1

The accident happens quickly.

They are heading home from the hospital. The news is good, so good. They can't wait to tell him, can't wait for him to be old enough to understand. Now he will just clap and smile when mommy and daddy do and that is enough, truly.

Koushiro would be happy when he was older. He would have a sibling who he could teach, who he could share his already growing curiosity. For now, it probably wouldn't make a difference but eventually, he'd see the benefit.

They are so careful driving, but there is always so much care one can take. Sometimes, there is a drunk on the ground, or roadkill, or something on fire. Sometimes there is crime or recklessness, or a power outage.

No matter any of the reasons, when the crash happens, there's nothing they can do.

The hit is agony in fragments and they aren't ready for it, how can they be?

The worst agony isn't even theirs. It's their child's.

The child's cry calls to the worlds.

One answers.


	2. 0-2

0-2

He's always running.

Away, towards, against the wind, into it. He's always running.

He has to run.

If he doesn't, he will remember.

All Tatsuya wants to do is forget.

"_You're a nuisance, you know?"_

He knows.

He hates to think about it. It's not his fault, what happened that day. It's not like he meant to do it. He didn't mean to fight. He didn't mean to just let her cry. He had tried to comfort her. That was what you were supposed to do. She just didn't listen.

She never had.

He keeps running and keeps trying to forget.

He's so busy in the past, in the dark of night, that he doesn't notice when the present swallows him whole, leaving nothing but his Walkman behind.


	3. 0-3

0-3

Someone says they're inseparable.

Someone says they're the same.

They're all idiots.

Of course they're not the same. One of them wears pants. The other prefers a skirt. Sure, they both know facts, but doesn't everybody? Doesn't everyone know a little bit about something?

One of them cares too much. The other cares too little.

Guess which one went head first towards the light, no regrets?

Here's a hint: the boy wears the skirt most of the time. He stays behind, eyes wide, little sister gripping his hand hard enough to make it bleed.

Jem meets Tatsuya standing by a tree. "Yo." He's a lanky boy, bright hair, dazzling smile. He's not afraid, or even unbalanced. His accented Dutch is quiet, but she's not sure it's Dutch at all. "Think we're dead?"

"Well, I wasn't doing anything that'd make me dead." She cracks the joke to sound less afraid because that's what she's thinking. Were they hurt, or dead? no, she had just run towards the light. She always ran towards things?

He falters a moment, but the moment is so tiny, it's almost forgettable. "Wanna take a look around?"

Jem files it away, stores it in the back of her brain. "Yeah."

Could she use that hesitation?


	4. 0-4

0-4

They walk, and for some reason, Jem doesn't feel worried about being jumped. No one is coming, no one is making the woods tremble or the trees shake.

"Kinda muggy, ain' it?" Tatsuya asks his companion, seeing her tugging at her collar.

"Bit yeah." She sighs. "Even at home, it weren't muggy, just ya know..."

"Warm," Tatsuya laughs. "I hear you. I was skating, I could use the warmup."

"Jocks united."

Tatsuya snorts and keeps walking. "There's something up ahead," he says, starting to squint.

Jem pauses a moment, then groans. She's _bored._ She hates being bored. Only one thing to do at a time like this! "Race ya!" Without waiting for an answer, she is gone, running in whatever direction they had been walking in and that's the best part of it. Tatsuya's probably staring at her. "Come on!"

She hears him laugh and then his footsteps are chasing after hers. He's fast! She shouldn't laugh so loud, but Jem never likes doing the things that make any sense. So she's hooting and dodging trees, giggling until she falls facefirst into cool dirt.

Tatsuya catches up and stares. "I think you won," he pants. She grins and winks at him. He raises his voice. "Hello?"

There is silence. Then a man lets out a laugh. "Oh, aren't you spirited? Nice run there, kids!" He steps into view. "Sorry for such an odd welcome. My name is Kasahiro, and I've been expecting you." He extends a hand for Jem to take , slightly shaggy brown hair swishing as he moves. "My daughter told us you would be coming, you see."

Jem pulls herself up, eyebrow raised. "What, she a psychic or something?"

He only smiles at her, and the soft light is enough to make her ill. "Something like that."


	5. 0-5

0-5

"Are they here, old man?"

That voice is sharp, like a bird's beak, and somewhat annoyed. Tatsuya sweatdrops. Whoever it is, they sure ain't friendly.

"More of them, certainly," Kasuhiro says, like it doesn't matter. Or he's used to it. Or both. Probably both.

"Does that mean I can get a better partner than this?" A pause. "Hey, Flamon, can I take yours?"

"U-hum..."

Tatsuya's eyes are still adjusting to the dim lighting, but the speaker scoffs and waves… a wing? What? Ookay… The bird glances at them, then looking at Jem. "Hey! You! Can I be your partner, this guy's a whiny little-" He lets out tiny yelps of pain as a young woman tugs him away by his tail feathers. "Lemme go lemme go..."

"Hush!" the woman says and the whole experience is so surreal that Tatsuya can't help but look for the most normal thing in the room. Clearly the humans aren't it. He wanders around, ignoring Jem's near hysterical laughter. (She has a weird sense of humor.) Tatsuya feels his foot hit something and stumbles backwards to avoid falling.

The person he had accidentally hit shifts, big eyes resting on him just long enough for the dim light to acknowledge that he has eyes. Then they drop behind the mass of messy, uneven hair and long, baggy sleeves. Tatsuya blinks. He's not used to that response, but he's had it before, seen it before. He kneels. "Hi."

No answer.

"He-he doesn't talk much."

Another monster, one with shaved horns and innocent green eyes. Its teeth don't gleam. In fact, it looks as shifty as a paper in the wind. It almost looks like a kid, except for the obvious.

"He doesn't talk much," the boy-creature repeats. "Yukine-san… she doesn't even get him to talk much..." He stumbles a bit on too large fleet. "I'm Flamon."

"Flamon?" Tatsuya raises an eyebrow as he sees Jem wander outside. "That's a name?"

"No," Flamon says, staring at him with eyes that seemed to know nothing but surprise. "It's my type. Digimon don't usually want names. They're forgettable."

"Oh...kay." Well, it's a better reason than what he had imagined. "I'm Tatsuya." He smiles, and then looks down at the kid. There's no scent of urine, so there's nothing wrong with him there. He isn't shaking. He's just… not moving.

He _does _move when Jem lets out a shriek of excited surprise and a hint of fear. He tries to bolt to the other side of the cave, only to be cornered by the bird. It's glaring now. "C'mon kiddo," he says to the kid. Not that he's not concerned about Jem screaming like that, but if they have to run, he'd rather not attempt to pick up a kid that looked like a small rock and carry him. "Let's go outside, okay?"

"I wouldn't try that, kiddo," Yukine says. Her voice is gentle, her expression like stone as Kasahiro heads to the entryway. "Poor lad. He's not a fan of people anymore."

Tatsuya shakes his head. "That's okay. He still should see with us. He's here too."

The boy stares at him, and Flamon shifts from one oversized foot to another. Then he takes Tatsuya's hand. Tatsuya isn't sure if it's out of interest or obedience, and they weren't in any position to find out. Not yet anyway.


	6. 0-6

0-6

They all make it outside to see Jem with her back against the wall, hands raised, A great wolf stands on its hind legs, sniffing at her neck with barely concealed fangs. Jem, for her part, looks only a little concerned. She smiles. "You're just a big puppy, aren't you?" she says, like she was talking to an ordinary dog.

Tatsuya sweatdrops. "Uhh… Jem?"

The creature turns at the sound of his voice and growled. He feels the boy grip his fingers more tightly, and gives the monster a glare of his own. He knows it isn't all that effective. He still won't be intimidated. Humans do that enough. He wasn't going to bow his head for just anyone.

Jem grins. "He's just curious, aren't ya, fella? We're gonna be friends, aren't we?"

Flamon moves from behind Tatsuya, raising his clawed hands. In the light, the only thing keeping him looking harmless is the fact that he looks more like a kicked puppy than the puppy. "Dobermon, she's one of them," he says, trying to look encouraging. "They're all fine, part of the pack. See? We have to go after the rest."

"There's more," Tatsuya mutters, half-incredulous.

Flamon nods. "There has to be. I mean, well-" He fidgets. "Our world is kinda big. Three people helping it would be kind of hard, right?"

Dobermon glares between them all for a few seconds more. Then he slips away, starting to whimper. Jem reaches over and scratches behind his flattened ears. "Good boy," she coos, looking almost maniacal at this point. "What, are we picking up trash?"

Everyone is looking at a wilting Flamon, barring the odd red bird, who seems to be trying to agitate the younger human into speaking. Flamon runs his fingers through his hair. "Well, no. We dunno exactly _what _you're here for, but someone asked for our help and yours and that's all we know..."

Kasuhiro sighs in relief. "The fact that you all got here as quickly as you did may be a good sign," he offers. The children all turn to him and Tatsuya wonders if that's good or bad that they're relying on the adults for answers in a world full of monsters. "That means the call came just in time, we hope."

"Well, I have a perfect attendance record," Tatsuya mutters under his breath. Jem snorts into her free arm, clearly trying not to cackle. A startled noise leaps from the smaller boy's lips and that's enough to make Tatsuya consider today at least a little better.

Dobermon's ears go up and he turns with bared teeth and growls falling from his lips. Yukine follows his gaze before the rest of them and smiles. "Mayu, welcome home."


	7. 0-7

0-7

"I made it!" chirps an airy voice and within seconds the little girl is flying through the air, pale blue hair as bright as the sky. She crashes into Yukine's chest like a speeding car without the mess. She's small, maybe seven, with skin as dark as chocolate and a dress the color of cleaned bones. She waves at the gathered children. The boy flinches back behind Tatsuya's leg. Tatsuya doesn't think and pats the child's head. The tension uncurls.

The girl doesn't even seem to notice, turning to Dobermon. "Bad dog," she chides. "Not supposed to growl at me."

Dobermon growls again and Jem laughs. "I think he's saying nice things about you."

Mayu tilts her head. "Is he?" She beams as though it doesn't matter and runs to Kasuhiro.

Jem licks her lips. This is the kid who had brought them here. Well, she acts weird enough.

Within seconds, Mayu is out again, ankles bandaged and running as fast as ever. "Okay, let's go!" She looks the three of them over again, and her eyes are iridescence and abnormality, touching the soul where it's vulnerable. Tatsuya winces through his teeth. Nothing about this is right or good or sane but what happens if they don't go?

Nothing. Nothing because they'll still be stuck here and their parents will be scared and lonely and calling the police and they will be assumed dead.

Hasn't he scared his family enough?

"Where?" he asks. He's going to pretend like he's brave, like he's the strong one without the cracks.

Mayu winks, and he's sure they all know it's the opposite. "The temple. The others are there."

Sweet gods, there are more?


	8. 1-1

1-1

"The temple is over the hills and far away."

Tatsuya wants to laugh, but he's more concerned by the fact that their guide to this temple is walking this rough terrain without shoes. She's skipping even, and her parents just let her go.

Maybe this world and all of its monsters encourage that.

"Where's that?" Jem was still petting her Dobermon as she walked.

Mayu points. "Somewhere over there!"

Jem thinks this over. "Okay, whatever you say." She seems to want to take off running

Tatsuya has to wonder if she's trying to irritate the tour guide. That's not cool. He doesn't want to be stranded here with the little kid at his ankles. He only follows, silence, obedience to the letter. Yet, he still clings to Tatsuya's hand. His eyes stay towards the ground for the most part, and he still doesn't know the kid's name.

So they keep walking until Flamon begins to growl. His green eyes stare through the trees and past the hills and then he's leaped. Dobermon is at his heels and Jem has run ahead because "THAT IS SO COOL." But Tatsuya feels sick in his bones. Something is wrong, so very wrong.

It's too fast for him to yell however, and he's left behind. It's not the first time. Mayu is letting out a tiny sigh. "So that's why you're here," she says with a smile. "You're not like them." She looks Tatsuya up and down, the boy now gripping his jeans like a lifeline. "You have something to lose."

"Who are you?" Tatsuya asks softly.

"The intermediary," Mayu says in reply, moving forward, following the horrible sounds of fists meeting flesh. "Just like you, except… younger. Smaller. My position is temporary. Yours can't be. The voices said so."

"The voices?"

"The ones who brought you here. Now," She reaches and pulls the boy from his grip. Her purple eyes sparkle through her blue bangs. "Go lead. You don't have to be brave. You just have to lead."

Tatsuya swallows. Why is she telling him this? What can he actually do?

"You all can do anything." Mayu still sounds certain, steady as a rock in a speeding river. "That's why you're here."

Tatsuya swallows again, and runs into the fray. "Stop," he shouts at them. "Stop, you guys! It's a trap!"

It's too late. The ground has already cracked.


	9. 1-2

1-2

Someone screams and Dobermon is yelping as he tries to stop. Tatsuya pauses, then nods to himself. "Flamon!" His partner is scrabbling for a wall and he catches himself. He leaps and scoops Tatsuya up with one arm, forcing himself up with the other. He jumps to the nearest ledge.

Tatsuya grimaces. "Flamon, go after them others, what about the kids?"

Flamon points and then jumps back down. Tatsuya follows where he has pointed. Mayu is… floating? No, that bird has grabbed her by the shoulders and is dragging them up as best it can. Tatsuya runs to help, grabbing Mayu's tiny hand. He pulls her up first, then the boy. The boy can't stop shaking. It's like he's gotten thrown through a tornado.

The bird reaches over and pecks his hand. Tatsuya moves to stop him, gets whacked back with a wing. The boy is looking up now, eyes wide, listening. The bird lets out a grunt of irritation. Then he dives into the hole. Tatsuya kneels, expecting tears but finding none.

"Dude that was awesome!"

Flamon has leaped out now, Jem under one arm. She's waving her fists. It'd be excited if her eyes weren't on the pit trap. The pit trap that her (when did it become hers?) Dobermon cannot climb from. There are no footholds he can reach.

Tatsuya nods at Flamon. He looks antsy. "Do you think you can help Dobermon?"

A nod. Flamon jumps back down. Within seconds there is a very loud snarl, then another. Then there's laughter. This causes the tears in the boy's eyes. Tatsuya thinks this over and nods to himself.

"Hey Jem," he says, looking to her as she cranes her neck as far as she can without ending up back in there. "Did you see what was down there?"

She shakes her head. "Just big, shiny red eyes. I wanna take another look."

Tatsuya wants to roll his eyes but he can't quite manage it. "All right, I'll go with you then." She raises an eyebrow at him. Tatsuya can't help his grin. It's like being back at school, with the doubtful looks of his classmates as he's preparing to do a thing he shouldn't do.

Well, except this could get him killed. Wouldn't be the first time.

"Race ya," he tells her. Then he's leaped, diving like a swimmer.

Mayu giggles. "Well, maybe you're more like them than I thought!"


	10. 1-3

1-3

Tatsuya doesn't have to hear the whoosh to know Jem has just jumped after him and he can't help the smile. His body feels like it's on fire, like the world is a sauna.

It's awesome. As he's falling, he can see the red eyes, and they burn. Something moves in the dark and he squints. Is that- Was that a horn? It was. Panic floods his veins and then he sees Flamon's fist connect with the scales between the monster's eyes. He flips back and the world is awash in flame from his arms. He strikes again.

Dobermon snarls and that's Tatsuya's only warning before he is tackled to the ground by the dog's massive paws. Jem thumps beside him seconds later and he groans.

"Your partner is no fun," he mutters. She snickers.

"We're takin' from his, I guess." She sits up. The light from Flamon's body is dim but it's enough to see a dinosaur, or something like it crouched inside the pit. It can barely move in the open pit, but there's a tunnel right by its tail. Said appendage lashes and the ground shakes.

Jem swears. Dobermon opens his jaws and something black shoots out, stopping the shaking tail. The ground trembles. Flamon backflips to stand in front of him. The caution and wariness is gone. In their place are slit pupils, wild flames.

Tatsuya sizes the whole thing up. "The horn and the mouth are easy targets but they won't do anything. We need to stop it from getting at the walls."

Jem pauses, looking around. The dino is beginning to twitch again. "Let's drive it back into that tunnel thingy. It'll be hard for us to hit with that giant horn in the way." She licks her lips. "Then we should get back up the pit and collapse it."

Tatsuya nods. "All right, les' go!"

Jem puts two fingers in her mouth and whistles. Dobermon lunges forward, blasting more black energy and slowing the creature to a halt. Its eyes twitch, then it roars. Flamon flinches, but doesn't move away. He raises his fists. The dinosaur lowers its head, and it charges. Flamon's knees buck as he pushes back. Sweat drips from his brow and his bare feet dig into the dirt. Tatsuya sees the horn shift, sees its point beginning to drop. He bolts from the side, tackling Flamon and himself out of the way as the enemy rams the wall. He vaguely hears Jem's yelp of alarm as she's rolled away, but is more focused on Flamon's dazed eyes.

"Come on buddy, get up!" he says, shaking him. The monster is beginning to step back, reversing like a car. "Get up, we've gotta move. I can't exactly carry you!"

Flamon makes a dizzy moan and Tatsuya turns, seeing the red eyes stuck on him once more.

Well. He's dead.


	11. 1-4

1-4

There's a howling sound, like the screaming of wind and then a pitched whine. The Monochromon topples on its side, and a foxlike creatur lands on it. Its unseen eyes rest on them through the mask, judging by the movement of its head. Tatsuya takes a step back, torn between relief and fear. So the big guy was down, but the little one was clearly here to kick ass. It paced on the giant rhino's side for a moment later. Then it crouches, causing Tatsuya to flinch, only for it to leap to the wall and off again, bounding easily up the pit.

Well then.

"Good work," murmurs a voice over his head. For some reason, it makes Jem jump up and bounce. It's like she nearly wasn't murdered. Priorities, seriously.

"Fox!" Her voice bubbles with even more energy. "You're on this crazy train wreck?"

The boy's voice, almost soft enough to be inaudible, answers with carefully expressed mirth. "Someone has to keep you alive."

"I can keep myself alive," Jem quips back. "Do you gotta way up there?"

"Leaving you in a pit seems safer though," Fox muses above. " At least for my sanity. Though I suppose we could assist… that thing isn't dead anyway."

Tatsuya glances it over and winces at the sight of its twitching limbs. "Yeah, can ya work on that rescue please?"

"Well, maybe if you two hadn't _jumped_," Flamon mumbles, shaking his head dizzily. He makes his way to his feet, raising his fists. Tatsuya goes to help, grunting at the weight. For a little guy, he sure had a few pounds on him.

A rope began to lower its way into the pit. Tatsuya gestures for Jem to go first. They're going to need all the help they can get with Dobermon. Jem pouts but does as asked. The two of them are crazy, he decides.

Ah well, best to be crazy with the people you know, right?

Then the rhino's tail crashes into the side of the hole. It shudders and Jem scrambles up faster, shouting for a motionless Dobermon. That fall really did a number on him.

Tatsuya glances at Flamon. "Can you get him and climb up?"

Another slam of the tail makes Flamon flinch, but he nods and moves to get him. The dog grunts in his daze and Flamon ignores him, trying not to drop the heavy dog as there's another thump. The Digimon is trying to rise again. The pit walls begin to tremble.

Then they crumble, right over Tatsuya's head.

Flamon stops thinking and runs. Power explodes with his fear and his fist slams into the rock. With a heave, he throws Dobermon over and out, grabbing hold of Tatsuya with his other arm. The power continues to burn, a sensation he hasn't felt since his days as a little meteor.

He's evolving.

* * *

_Would anybody like this fic in longer chapters and not these drabbles?_


End file.
